Automobile door



May 22, 1928. 1,670,857

A. l.. LAMBERT AUTOMOBILE DOOR eet 1 E IVVj f I I II :hihi

33 II .III

'I' 22 INVENTOR I BY A "y 2 1.9!

ATTORNEY May 22. 1928.

A. L. LAMBERT AUTOMOBILE DOOR Filed April 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. LAMBERT, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ABSIGNOB T0 HEINTZ MANUFAGTURING COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR.

Application tiled April 27, 1925. Serial No. 25,967.

This invention relates to automobile doors, and more particularly relates to auto mobile doors of all metal construction.

One object of my invention is to provide 6 a door which is attractive in appearance and inexpensive to manufacture, and at the same time is sturdy and durable and is neither objectionably heavy nor objcctionably light.

Another object of my invention is to provide a door which may be built of a very small number of parts, and which permits ractically all of said parts to be made of fight gauge sheet metal. Other objects of my invention will be in part obvious and in part 16 pointed out hereinafter.

In accordance with my invention, the door consists of frame members of light gauge sheet metal so shaped and reenforced as to produce a sturdy and rigid construction.

The various frame members are so shaped and positioned that they may be welded together without any weld showing on any surface on which t e presence of such Weld would detract from the pleasing appearance of the door'. Some of these frame members may function as paneling across the top and Sides of the window opening.

Preferably a separate panel is mounted on the frame below the window opening.

In order that a clearer understanding of my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisapphcation and illustrating one certain embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a front view of a door embo ying my invention; Fig. 2 is a broki vertical section thereof, and is taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views through each side pillar of the door at the window opening, and are taken respectively on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig.

5 is a broken sectional view through the center of the door, and is taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating my improved manner of welding together two abuttin members, and, for example, may be consi ered to be taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawnerferring tothe drawings, the hinge post 1 comprises a sheet metal strip running the full height of the door. This frame member has an outer face 2, pre-formed with a flange 3 along one edge parallel with the outside of the door. Along the opposite edge of face 2 is an inwardly directed flange 4, which is bent, as at 5, toward the front of the door, then outwardly, `as at 6, and then again toward the outside of the door, as at 7. Another sheet metal strip running from the bottom of the window opening to the top of the door has a face 8 on the outside of the door, which constitutes paneling. At the outer edge, this strip is clinched over the flange 3 of member 1, as at 9, and may he welded thereto. The opposite edge of face 8 is bent toward the rear of the door, as at 9', then outwardly, as at 10, and then again toward the rear of the door, as at 11. Flange 11 seats behind the flange 7, and these flanges are welded or riveted together, whereby a rigid and sturdy construction is secured. It will be noticed that the flanges 6, 7, 10 and 11 form an inwardly directed channel groove. This groove serves as a runway for a window glass. By securing the members together at the flanges 7 and 11, this welding or riveting is completely concealed, and does not detract from the appearance of the door.

The lock post is of somewhat similar construction, and includes a frame member of light gauge sheet metal, pre-formed with a stepped outer face 12, having an outwardly directed flange 13 parallel with the outer face of the door. Flange 14 is bent inwardly along the opposite edge of face 12, then toward the outside of the door, as at 15, then outwardly, as at 16, and then again toward the outside face of the door, as at 17. On this side of the door there is also a. sheet metal strip running from the bottom of the window opening to the top of the post. \This sheet metal member is preformed with a face 18, which constitutes paneling, and along one edge is clinched around the flange 13, as at 19, and may be welded thereto. Along the inner edge of face 18 is a rearwardly directed flange 19', which is broken outwardly, as at 20', and then rearwardly, as at 21. Flanges 17 and 21 are riveted or welded together, thus effecting a rigid and sturdy construction, with the welding or riveting completely con` cealed, so as not Vto detract from the appearance of the door.` Flanges 16, 17, 26 and 21 form a window runway channel on this side of the door.

Below theA window opening is an outer panel 20, which has its side edges clinched over the flanges 3 and 13 of the post members, and may be welded thereto, The bot tom edge of this panel may have a flange 21 seated beneath the bottom wall 22 of a channel member which extends between the hinge and lock post. This channel member, as shown, has an inner face 23 and an upper channel wall 24, and preferably is secured at its ends to the flanges 5 and 15 of the hinge and lock post. Below the window opening flanges 25 and 26 are bent inwardly from the flanges 7 and 17 to complete the channel runway below the window, these runways, however, not extending to the bottom of the door. At the ends of these runways, I preferably position window stops 27, supported by brackets 28, which have arms 29, one secured to the flange 25 of the hinge post and the other secured to the flange 26 of the lock post.

Across the center of the door, for purposes of reenforcement and stiflening, and in order to take the torsional stress away from the edges of the door, I place a rigid metal tube 30, which at each end is welded to a plate 31, 32. Plate 31 abuts and is welded to the face 2 of the hinge post. Preferably, a hinge 33 is secured to the door at this place, so that the hinge mounting will also be reenforced by this tube. At the other end of the tube, the plate 32 is welded, or otherwise secured, to the post face 12.

Across the top of the door at the front is a light gauge sheet metal member, which has an outer face 34, constituting paneling. Along the upper edge is a flange 35, which is reenforced by an angle strip 36. Along the lower edge is an inwardly directed flange 37, from which the flange 38 is bent upwardly. The ends of face 34 where they meet the post members are bent inwardly to an acute angle, as at 39, and the adjacent edge of the post member, such as 18, is also flanged'inwardly at an acute angle, as at 40. Flanges 39 and 4() form a sort of trough. which permits of their being welded together, as at 41, without any of the welding showing on the outside of either of the connected members. This same method of welding two adjacent sheet metal parts together may also be carried out where hinge post face 8 meets the up` per edge of the panel 20, as at 42, and also where the opposite post face 18 meets this panel, as at 43. It is to be understood that this method of joining two sheet metal members together by welding so that there will be no defacement of the outside -of these connected pieces, nor any showing of the weld on such pieces, is not limited to the joining together of two sheet metal parts of a door, but may be applied wherever such a joint is desired, and irrespective ot the particular article in which the joint happens to be established.

Across the top of the door on the inside is a ligh gauge sheet metal strip, having a face 44 exposed on the inside of the door, from the lower edge of which a flange 45 cxtends toward the outside of the door and then upwardly, as at 46. Along the top of face 44 is an inwardly directed flange 47, which is reenf'orced by an angle strip 48. Flanges 35 and 47 are spaced from each other to permit a window glass to be inserted and assembled through the top of the door.

It is to be noticed that the construction above described provides a finish moulding along the sides and top of the window, both on the inside and on the outside. Preferably, the upper edge of the lower panel member 2O is curved over, as at 49, to provide a finish moulding along the lower edge of the window.

From the above, the simplicity of the construction will be readily a parent. The parts are few in number, an substantially all of them may be constructed of light gauge sheet metal. These parts are so shaped that they may be secured together rigidly and firmly into a sturdy reenforced construction, without any defacement of exposed ortions of the parts, and without any wel ing showing, thus avoiding defacement of the appearance of the door.

As many changes could be -made in the above construction and as many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description orv shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is 1. In a door of the character described, two opposite post members of sheet metal each having a face portion, a portion extending inwardly from said face portion, a portion extending from said inwardly extending portion toward the front of the door, and a window runway portion formed on said latter portion, and a metallic tube extending between and secured to the face portions of each post member, whereby the structure is reenforced and stif'l'ened.

2. In a door of the character described, in combination, a lower panel, two spaced upright panels abutting the lower panel at their lower ends, and a top cross panel abutting the upper ends of said upright panels, said panels at their adjacent edges being bent back to form a trough at the joint, whereby said panels may be Welded together without the welding showing on the outside of any of the panels.

3. A pillar of hollow box formation and comprising two sheet metal strips secured to each other along both their extremities and having their bodies spaced apart, each strip having an angular formation along one edge, forming in conjunction with each other a window runway spared from the pillarouter edge wall, the edges of the strips beingr secured together at the base of the runway.

4. A pillar of hollow box formation and comprising two sheet metal strips secured to each other along both their extremities and having their bodies spaced apart, each strip having an angular formation along one extremity, forming in conjunction With 2U each other a window runway spaced from the pillar outer edge Wall, the extremities of the strips overlapping and secured together at the base of the runway.

5. A pillar of hollow box formation comprising a sheet metal pillar strip and a panel strip secured to each other along their edges, the pillar strip having one edge bent inwardly ot' the post parallel to and spaced from the pillar outer edge wall and again at right angles thereto forming a flange, one edge of said panel strip also lient inwardly of the post forming in ronjunrtion with the brut in edge of the pillar post a window runway, said edge of said panel strip also having a flange overlapping, secured to, and forming with said flange of the pillar post, the bottom of said Window runway.

This specification signed this 23rd day of April, 1925. n

AUBERT L. LAMBERT.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. i. 670, 857.

Granted May 22. 1928, to

ALBERT L. LAMBERT.

lt is hereby certified that error appears Ain the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page 3, line 9 claim 3,

for the word -Ledge" read "extremity", and line 12, for "edges" read "extremities";

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the saine may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. A

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July, A. D. 1928.

(Seal) i M. J. Moore,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

bent back to form a trough at the joint, whereby said panels may be Welded together without the welding showing on the outside of any of the panels.

3. A pillar of hollow box formation and comprising two sheet metal strips secured to each other along both their extremities and having their bodies spaced apart, each strip having an angular formation along one edge, forming in conjunction with each other a window runway spared from the pillarouter edge wall, the edges of the strips beingr secured together at the base of the runway.

4. A pillar of hollow box formation and comprising two sheet metal strips secured to each other along both their extremities and having their bodies spaced apart, each strip having an angular formation along one extremity, forming in conjunction With 2U each other a window runway spaced from the pillar outer edge Wall, the extremities of the strips overlapping and secured together at the base of the runway.

5. A pillar of hollow box formation comprising a sheet metal pillar strip and a panel strip secured to each other along their edges, the pillar strip having one edge bent inwardly ot' the post parallel to and spaced from the pillar outer edge wall and again at right angles thereto forming a flange, one edge of said panel strip also lient inwardly of the post forming in ronjunrtion with the brut in edge of the pillar post a window runway, said edge of said panel strip also having a flange overlapping, secured to, and forming with said flange of the pillar post, the bottom of said Window runway.

This specification signed this 23rd day of April, 1925. n

AUBERT L. LAMBERT.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. i. 670, 857.

Granted May 22. 1928, to

ALBERT L. LAMBERT.

lt is hereby certified that error appears Ain the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page 3, line 9 claim 3,

for the word -Ledge" read "extremity", and line 12, for "edges" read "extremities";

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the saine may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. A

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of July, A. D. 1928.

(Seal) i M. J. Moore,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

